What If My Preterm Twins Need a Preemie Feeding Tube?

The thought of delivering your twins early may have you worried: will my twins need a preemie feeding tube? Not all preemie twins need feeding tubes, but in case you want to feel more prepared, keep reading to hear about other twin parents’ experiences with feeding tubes. 

Since preterm birth is more prevalent among twin pregnancies, we want to help you feel more informed about the potential need for a preemie feeding tube. 

First off, what causes babies or twins to have to use a feeding tube in the first place?

Why a baby may need a feeding tube…

When babies join us Earthside prematurely, they’re not always ready to handle all of the necessary survival functions on their own (like breathing and eating). 

Most babies don’t develop the coordination of sucking, breathing, and swallowing until around 32 – 34 weeks gestation. For this reason, many twins who are born before 32 weeks (and even some who are born after) end up needing the support of a preemie feeding tube to help them stay hydrated and meet their nutritional needs. 

In these cases, the tube-fed baby is usually monitored very carefully by their neonatal care team to track their growth and development. Eventually, they are weaned off of the tube–either while they’re still in the NICU or at home with clear directions from the neonatal care team. 

Besides prematurity, a newborn may also require a feeding tube if they’re intubated or have a congenital condition that impacts their ability to feed (like lung disease). Sometimes when a newborn undergoes certain surgeries, a feeding tube will be used temporarily as well.  

This may feel like a lot to take in, especially if you’ve never seen a feeding tube or you’re not around medical settings frequently.

So to give you a better idea about feeding tubes and twins, we checked in with our community and asked them: 

Did your twins have to use a feeding tube? What was your experience?

Here’s what twin parents had to say:

It wasn’t too bad…

“Both of my twins had to use feeding tubes. The experience for us was quite easy to manage. We were given so much support in feeding our twins with their Ng tubes, we found the process quite simple and easy throughout our NICU time…

(cont.) The only downfall was one of my twins mastered pulling out several of her Ngs daily and then her twin brother’s when they were finally sharing a cot in NICU. The one thing which was hard for us was that my baby suffered a reaction to the tape they had taped the Ng line down with due to them having such sensitive skin.” — Caitlin

“One did in the NICU. The other was not in the NICU and didn’t need any sort of feeding tube.” — Kendall

“Yes for both. They were in the NICU for a total of 20 days each. They were not on the feeding tube the entire time. Only on it until they began feeding enough on their own. They’d have them try to feed on their own, then use the feeding tube to supplement whatever more they needed until they weaned off of it. Was not a big deal. They are now almost 4 and doing fantastic.” — Kirsten

It was a struggle…

“Yes, they did. They were also intubated for a long time. It was extremely difficult. But they fought and won. Now, they’re 3! Never lose hope!” — Iona

“My 34-weekers each had a 72 and 90-day long NICU stay. Twin A had constant feeding struggles due to reflux and poor coordination with feeding. He ended up having a reflux surgery and came home with a G-tube. We weaned him off of it completely just after he turned 1 and he got it removed when he was 2 when his growth was more stable…

(cont.) Our Twin A had an NG tube due to a lung surgery she had at birth. Unfortunately, she developed an oral aversion during her NICU stay, and she didn’t bottle feed or breastfeed well at first. So we were given instructions to wean her off of the tube at home. She used it until about 10 months old which is way longer than we ever expected, but thanks to the support of a feeding therapist through Early Intervention, we were able to help her overcome her feeding challenges and stop using the NG tube.” — Paige

And we also asked…

For those who had at least one kiddo with a feeding tube, what was your experience like?

Here’s what twin parents shared: 

“It was awful, like I couldn’t care for them.” – Sophia

“Ours was very brief, only a few days and he gained strength to eat on his own!” – Rachel

“Feeding tube in NICU until they began drinking enough on their own to wean off.” — Kirsten

“I think it’s mixed. Reassuring that they’re fed, but stressful to get them feeding normally…” — Tori

“We bottle/breastfed as much as they could, but when they would tire, we’d use the tubes.” — Haley

“Only had to use it until they got 34 weeks, then took feeds by bottle.” — Marlin

And to get a sense of how many twin parents had to use a preemie feeding tube with their twins, we asked our followers on Instagram to chime in on this poll: 

Did either of your twinnies have to use a feeding tube?

Out of 150 responses, here’s what respondents shared (out of nearly 150 respondents total):

• Yes, both: 34%
• One of them did: 13%
• Nope: 49%
• Not my twins, but another kiddo of mine: 4%

Final thoughts on twins and preemie feeding tubes

Having to use a feeding tube may feel nerve-wracking. But keep in mind that with careful attention and care from your child’s NICU team (and your input), the baby can be weaned off of the tube over time. 

If you want to learn more about what to expect with tube feeding a baby, read this article!

Want to learn more about newborn feeding tubes or a NICU stay with twins? Check out these articles too!

• Newborn Feeding Tube: What to Expect and How to Deal
• What to Ask When Your Twins Are in the NICU
• Tips to Ease Your NICU Stress and Anxiety
• How to Celebrate Holidays and Special Milestones in the NICU

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